If Ohio State is going to remain in the Big Ten championship hunt, if the Buckeyes are to stay in the top 10, if they are to make a long run in March, it won't be the upperclassmen driving them there.

Sure, Deshaun Thomas is leading the Big Ten in scoring and is just one of three players in the country averaging 20 points and more than six rebounds, but Ohio State knows what it's getting from their All-American candidate.

Aaron Craft is a once-in-a-generation perimeter defender who will likely add another Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award to his resume. While his offensive game has shown positive signs of late, Craft is a known quantity.

Lenzelle Smith and Evan Ravenel? They are who they are. Smith is a handyman sort who can score, rebound and defend, just usually not all in the same game. Ravenel is a lunch pail guy who does the dirty work around the rim by coming off the bench.

While these four can navigate a season as they've proven, they need some help.

And the ones who can take Ohio State where it wants to go are the sophomores: Sam Thompson, Shannon Scott, Amir Williams and LaQuinton Ross.

"I would never, ever pinpoint a guy or a group," OSU coach Thad Matta said last week when asked about the impact the sophomores can have on this team's season. "You're looking at Sam, Shannon, Trey (McDonald), Amir and Q, none of those guys were fixtures last year."

That was the coach's way of alleviating pressure from a group of guys who saw spot duty and experienced limited roles on last year's Big Ten championship squad, which authored a Final Four journey. He knows they're still at a tender age in their college basketball development and doesn't want to add to any angst.

Essentially, the foursome has just played half of a conference season in their careers, since little was asked of them a year ago. And that needs to be remembered.

"I feel I'm more a part of the team. I know I have to come in there and make plays all the time. I've got to make stuff happen," Scott said. "You can't be as laid back as you were last year. We've got to be focused a lot more."

Sometimes they are; sometimes they're not. That's what happens with young players asked to help steer the season.

In the first eight games of the Big Ten season, Thompson had just one offensive rebound - this from a forward who jumps better than anyone in the league.

Scott has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, but he's shooting 28 percent from the floor, has yet to make a 3-pointer, and is averaging just three points a game through the first half of league play.

Williams is averaging 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, but he continues to struggle with cleanly grabbing rebounds and catching passes. He has yet to have the impact expected from a high school All-American who stands 6-foot-11.

Ross has admittedly struggled with the mental aspects of the game, learning the nuances of Matta's defensive rotations and fitting in on the offensive end. He's a potential prolific scorer, much like a young Thomas, but a questionable attitude saw his minutes drop early in the Big Ten season.

"It hasn't always been as smooth as we'd like it to be, but we're definitely coming into our own," Thompson said. "We want to keep getting better so we can contribute to this team."

Matta is fond of saying guys figure it out in their own way and in their own time. Unfortunately this team can't afford a long learning curve because so much is asked of and expected from the younger players.

"It's the process of becoming a complete player," Matta said. "When you've got seniors who have practiced over 500 times and played in 120 games, they've seen a lot more in terms of what it takes for things to go well."

So that process needs to be accelerated and likely will be sped up this week.

Ohio State travels to No. 3 Michigan tonight and hosts No. 1 Indiana on Sunday - without a doubt the toughest week in college basketball.

"Coach always tells us to be ready at all times," Scott said.

They better be ready to drive the bus because the keys are in their hands.